Ward’s Take: July 7, 2018

Well how about this, I started doing this “Ward’s Take” a week ago today and I’m actually still doing it. I’ll do my best to keep with it, for me it’s more a hobby and to keep me writing anyways.

It’s a busy day for me today. Full disclosure, it’s still Friday night as I write this. For my Saturday I have a DC shift, a friend’s wedding to go to, and the gym to hit. By the time you read this, I’ll hopefully still be alive. (Saturday update: work went 11.5 hours and I missed the wedding, but still going to the reception)

Where did the offense go? One night after scoring 11 runs they score two on five hits? I didn’t watch the game last night (watched the Ultimate Fighter finale and went to bed early) so this is all off box score.

Seems like it was just one of those nights. There’s not too much to be nit-picky about but there are some positives.

DeJong is back. That’s huge. What he provides on offense, specifically in the power department, is something the team can really use to its advantage.

Jedd Gyorko really wants us to forget who Mike Moustakas is. I’m all for it. I have no problem with Jedd and I don’t want Moustakas.

Finally, Kolten Wong finally found the Mendoza Line. He looks pretty damn good right now too. I can only hope he keeps things up.

No more Melo in OKC

Thank. God. Melo severely disappointed me in OKC. I was pretty excited when he joined the team last summer. I figured with the combination of him, Russ, and PG, the Western Conference Finals, at least, was a big possibility. Boy was I surprised.

He maintained his arrogant, confident?, attitude even when his play didn’t show it. He chucked up helpless threes to no avail. I was at the OKC-Golden State game in April and he went 0-11 from three. That’s pitiful.

I won’t say he didn’t do anything right for OKC. He had a pretty good personality for the team. As far as production goes and what he lacked, especially with the money OKC has to dish out for him, letting him go is a good move.

My toughest sports break up

Tony Parker is going to Charlotte. He’s been in the NBA for 17 seasons, all of them with San Antonio. I was listening to the Will Cain Show when this news broke yesterday. It prompted Peter Burns to ask what our toughest sports break up is.

The easy answer for me would be Kevin Durant, but that wouldn’t be right. Yes, KD was huge in OKC. He and Russ helped make OKC the team they were and nearly took down the 73-9 Warriors. Seeing KD in a Warriors uniform hurt.

But there’s something about watching somebody in your childhood that’s just different. Your childhood idols will always be on a higher pedestal than anyone else. With that said, my toughest sports break up was Albert Pujols.

El Hombre, even though he doesn’t like the name. I grew up watching Pujols, that was the guy my entire childhood. Some of the most memorable home runs I’ve ever seen. Seeing him elsewhere was tough. At first, I was angry, but then it turned into respect.

He got career hit 3000 earlier this season, I was thrilled. Who knows if he’d even still be playing if he stayed with St Louis and couldn’t DH, but I wish I could’ve found out.

Who wins? DC or Stipe?

I feel bad for betting against Stipe, I did it with the Ngannou fight and it didn’t work out, but I just can’t see him beating DC.

DC is just on another level of all other pro fighters. Jon Jones had some kind of secret formula that only Jon Jones knows. The former Olympic wrestler makes that skill evident and just toys with guys on the ground.

We saw Stipe’s underrated ground game against Ngannou, that’s how he bullied him for the majority of the fight, but Ngannou was not a mat fighter.

I think Stipe should try to keep it standing up at all costs. He can hold his own on the ground, but I think it’s DC’s fight to lose if it gets there. I don’t think he will. It should be an incredible fight. I see DC taking it home.

Thanks for reading, off to a wedding reception. If some people that work at the DC could, you know, actually show up to work tomorrow that would be sweet. Might make the day a little quicker.